Chandigarh: Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Thursday said his Officer on Special Duty (OSD), Rajbir Singh Ghuman, was ready to appear before the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) if he was formally served a summons.
Speaking to reporters, Mann said Ghuman had not appeared before the CBI on Wednesday because, according to him, the summons had not been properly served.
Ghuman, who has been named in a case registered by the CBI, had been asked to appear at the agency’s Chandigarh office on Wednesday afternoon but did not attend.
Asked about the CBI search at his camp office, Mann alleged that the action was part of the BJP’s election campaign in Punjab. He cited previous investigations involving opposition leaders in other states and alleged that central agencies had been used ahead of elections.
Responding to a question about the CBI registering the case following directions from the Punjab and Haryana High Court, Mann questioned the circumstances surrounding the proceedings and alleged that the action had been planned in advance.
Mann also defended his government’s record on tackling corruption, saying the Aam Aadmi Party had taken steps to bring greater transparency to governance by moving government systems online.
He rejected the allegations against his office as baseless and said AAP leaders and workers did not come from traditional political families.
The CBI investigation is continuing, while the allegations against Ghuman and others remain under investigation.
